Your spouse’s net worth is not yours!

[Anonymous]

op is just jealous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never say "my" net worth or "his" net worth, it's more fun to say "our" net worth because the number is twice as big. Trying to think about why that number is relevant for any reason other than "hmmm, this is how much money we have." I don't think rich people at the club are really comparing net worth.

They're not because it is gauche to discuss it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might want to familiarize yourself with the laws around division of assets in divorce. You will learn that each spouse is entitled to a roughly equal share, even if that spouse didn't earn it. There are some exceptions of course, such as in cases of inheritances, but that's generally how it works.

Lol, "you might want to familiarize yourself...." Do you not realize that your post is the EXACT POINT I was making in the OP?? It's so weird that people are repeating my argument back to me but in a manner that indicates they think it's some incisive retort. The reading comprehension here is not too strong.

The same goes for those angrily declaring that they would, in fact, deserve half the net worth in the event of a divorce because they mommy-tracked themselves so their husbands could earn the big bucks. I'm not taking a position here as to whether I believe you actually deserve this -- that's a whole different topic -- but I am saying that you are unequivocally, legally entitled to half the net worth. If anything, I am standing up for you. The topic of this thread -- "Your spouse's net worth is not yours!" -- would be a more apt statement to make to your husband in this scenario.

I thought DCUM was supposed to have a highly-educated readership. Why are you all unable to grasp basic concepts like these??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? I'm the higher earner in my marriage, and I still feel like the financial hit would be too great. Two households! I don't really understand this post.

OP here. Higher-earner, lower-earner, non-earner—doesn’t matter. Your net worth is your household net worth divided by two.

As a poster upthread pointed out, two households are more expensive than one household. Ergo, divorce entails a financial hit.

Well not always.

I’m divorced, I’m the higher earner and essentially paid for everything. Now that I’m divorced I pay for everything still but it’s less because there is only 1 of me and 1/2 of the kids stuff.

My income is mine … not 1/2 of my income so I have more $.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ignore OP. He or she is a financial moron.

Or not. The OP knows her own finances and can live independently. Sadly, most married women wouldn’t be afford to live independently which is sad. They are tied to marriage even when it is abusive.

Stop sockpuppeting, OP.

No need to sockpuppet. Go ask anyone who has divorced how important is the fairy-tale metric of household net worth that they used to carry around in their head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Makes no sense. Dh and I have been together since college. I worked to support him in grad school, and now he makes a lot more. Everything we have we got while together.

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? I'm the higher earner in my marriage, and I still feel like the financial hit would be too great. Two households! I don't really understand this post.

OP here. Higher-earner, lower-earner, non-earner—doesn’t matter. Your net worth is your household net worth divided by two.

As a poster upthread pointed out, two households are more expensive than one household. Ergo, divorce entails a financial hit.

Well not always.

I’m divorced, I’m the higher earner and essentially paid for everything. Now that I’m divorced I pay for everything still but it’s less because there is only 1 of me and 1/2 of the kids stuff.

My income is mine … not 1/2 of my income so I have more $.

Sounds like your ex-spouse took the hit then, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? I'm the higher earner in my marriage, and I still feel like the financial hit would be too great. Two households! I don't really understand this post.

OP here. Higher-earner, lower-earner, non-earner—doesn’t matter. Your net worth is your household net worth divided by two.

Got it. Either you are living with the assumption you will be divorced eventually or you already are and now suddenly find yourself neighborhood poor.

This is why plenty of people don't get divorced.

[Anonymous]

Because shared expenses is cheaper than single expenses, and when calculating for retirement, we use combined net worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? I'm the higher earner in my marriage, and I still feel like the financial hit would be too great. Two households! I don't really understand this post.

OP here. Higher-earner, lower-earner, non-earner—doesn’t matter. Your net worth is your household net worth divided by two.

As a poster upthread pointed out, two households are more expensive than one household. Ergo, divorce entails a financial hit.

Well not always.

I’m divorced, I’m the higher earner and essentially paid for everything. Now that I’m divorced I pay for everything still but it’s less because there is only 1 of me and 1/2 of the kids stuff.

My income is mine … not 1/2 of my income so I have more $.

Sounds like your ex-spouse took the hit then, right?

Well they could learn to spend less but yea without my income to spend on ridiculous stuff they feel the “took a hit”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because shared expenses is cheaper than single expenses, and when calculating for retirement, we use combined net worth.

2 $500K townhouses are not more expensive than 1$1.5M house so not necessarily

[Anonymous]

This is the dumbest topic in a while.

Net worth is net worth. If the family splits in 2, the net worth splits in 2.

Don’t be daft.

[Anonymous]

Spouse and I are married w/ assets Intertwined and OUR networth is currently one. If we divorce, someone dies, the market tanks, there’s job loss… our networth changes. What is the actual point of this post?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse and I are married w/ assets Intertwined and OUR networth is currently one. If we divorce, someone dies, the market tanks, there’s job loss… our networth changes. What is the actual point of this post?

*net worth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only way your spouse‘s net worth does not count is if you had a prenup. Otherwise, your spouse gets half of yours. So the divorce will be costly for both. It always is.

This. I am a SAHM with grown kids. No prenup. Married 30 years. Everything is jointly held. And yes, everything that we have earned, built, raised and launched is ours -jointly.